i took some serious elbow grease to the condo this weekend, cleaning that thing from top to bottom and left to right.  in the midst of dusting my bedroom bookshelf, i stumbled across an old spiral journal and couldn’t help but smile.  my old diary!  one of many, i assure you.

it was a gift from my aunt tutti and cousin hannah, how many years ago i do not know.  wait, i take that back, i’m going to guess eleven years ago since the first entry is dated february 2003.  dang!  i’ve held onto this little guy for just a bit, yes?

i read the first few entries and took a deep walk down memory lane.  i literally wrote about everything in my day, from school to band practice to what my brothers were doing to what we were eating for dinner to what we watched on tv.  i cannot help but picture fourteen year old kelsey writing diligently in her diary each evening, recapping her day and reflecting on all the problems that freshmen high schoolers have.

it was fun to see my handwriting change throughout those years, from very precise to very girly to very cool and artsy.

the daily entries were interrupted every now and then by other thoughts and feelings and aspirations.  one page contained a list of “things to do before i die.”  well, i was quite ambitious then, wasn’t i?  it included the following:  roll a house (done), bungee jump, go abroad (next year – fingers crossed!), have the perfect kiss (ah, such a romantic), give blood, ride a train, and go to college.  the list goes on and on, but i’m not looking to embarrass myself too much today.

i apparently was also a quote fanatic then.  there are pages and pages of inspiration and wisdom here!  below are some of my favorites i had jotted down.

“the place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”  frederick buechner

“all our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”  walt disney

“always do right.  this will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”  mark twain

“the measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.”  thomas babington macaulay

i’ve carried the journal around with me all week, and when i see it peeking out of my bag, i cannot help but smile.  it tickles me to read about my high school days and everything that came with them.  it makes me even happier knowing that i kind of get to keep a journal or diary here with you all.  as all my friend and boy and fashion problems come to mind, i’m sure you’ll get to read all about them.